SAN ANTONIO ? The San Antonio Spurs insist they’ve moved past their emotional victory over the three-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The Spurs celebrated their 4-2 series win over the Lakers, gaining a bit of revenge over the team that eliminated them from the playoffs the last two seasons.

Now, the Spurs are ready to move on.

“It doesn’t matter about the Lakers. We’ve beaten them and that’s that,” Bruce Bowen said. “We’re trying to get a championship ring, and in order to get that, you have to continue advancing.”

The Spurs host Game 1 of the West finals Monday against the Dallas Mavericks. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday.

Veteran center David Robinson said the series against the Lakers hardened the Spurs.

“They were the champions three years in a row. They were very dominant; they had two of the best players in basketball,” Robinson said. “Getting through the Lakers was a big hump for us, so now we still have some work to do, but we’re in a good spot.”

Robinson, a member of the Spurs’ 1999 championship team, believes his team is focused on winning the title.

san antonio's tim duncan, left, and Stephen Jackson watch from the bench. The Spurs advanced to the Western Conference finals and will play Dallas Monday in San Antonio.

“Now you’re right there, you can taste it. It’s right in the air, and so guys are hungry,” he said. “We’re going to play well, I don’t doubt that at all. We’re going to make a team play really hard to beat us.”

The Spurs’ know what to expect from their next opponent, the Mavericks.

“They’re really aggressive on running, so it’s going to be a whole different thing and we’ve got to be ready for that,” rookie Manu Ginobili said.

“We’ve got to know that there’s not going to be a whole lot of set offense (to defend), like taking Shaq out of the paint or Kobe out of the ball. It’s going to be a whole different thing.”

Coach Gregg Popovich believes his team will carry momentum into the conference finals, despite a lengthy layoff.

“Each game is an individual statement,” he said. “But I believe if you’re playing well, it does carry over.”